The Amazing Spiderman

I think I mentioned this before, but I'm not the biggest Spiderman fan. I like it enough to see the movies, but I've always felt rather lukewarm towards the whole series in general. Can't get excited about it.

After seeing this new adaptation, and inevitably the first of a new series, I can say that this is probably better than its predecessors (I need to watch them again, but I'm 99% sure I'm right), and while I'm still not fangurling over Spidey, this movie makes me like it a bit more.

It's not without its flaws, of course. It occasionally falls into some way overused cliches and cheesiness, and it uses some of the same plot points that we saw before. I wish they had changed it so that it wasn't so predictable. When you're rebooting a franchise, you need to put a whole new stamp on it and make us forget that Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst were there first!

Ahem, anyway, there are plenty of positives. First of all, Andrew Garfield was perfect for this. I wasn't totally convinced when I saw he was playing the part, but he really fills this role perfectly. Emma Stone, as well, who plays Gwen Stacy. There's no Mary Jane here, which is good, because we really don't need a silly love triangle. And Rhys Ifans makes an appropriate Jekyl and Hyde sort of antagonist. He's one of those actors who's probably good in any genre he tries, and he manages to be likable as this lizardy character who wants to turn everyone into...lizards. Hmm...

Martin Sheen and Sally Field also star as Peter's aunt and uncle.

I feel like making a pros and cons list. I love making lists. So here goes:

Cons:
-cliche and cheesy in parts
-predictable
-recycled plot points

Pros:
-great cast
-fun action
-good music

Also, there's an extra scene at the end of the credits, so make sure you watch it! It leaves it open for a sequel.

My grade: B+

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